The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demands up to 16 months in prison for the fraud of dozens of elderly people across the country. A 21-year-old woman from Rotterdam and a 23-year-old man from Almere are said to have posed as employees of the fraud department of a bank. “From a purely financial motive, the suspects intended to hit vulnerable elderly people hard,” said the public prosecutor.
Investigation Start
The investigation began on December 14, 2023, after an elderly woman from Zeist reported a man claiming to be from the fraud department of ING. He told her that a cyberattack was taking place on her account and that her bank card needed to be collected. The victim was instructed to put her card in an envelope and write down a code she received from the man on the phone. While the victim was still on the phone, someone knocked at the door. It was the female suspect who came to collect the envelope. She stated the code and then took over the phone with the fraud employee from ING. After about twenty minutes, the woman left with the bank card.
Deceptive Method
Based on a description and requested camera footage, a 23-year-old man from Almere and a 21-year-old woman from Rotterdam came into view. The suspects were arrested on January 10, 2024. This happened partly because the car of the 23-year-old man was seen at the victims home. When the police later checked the suspects in that same car, they had more than a thousand euros in cash and two ABN-AMRO card readers with them. Due to their consistent method and multiple descriptions, they can be linked to various reports according to the OM.
In many cases, the suspects use the same method. They often work with a code, as in the case of the first report. They also frequently tell victims that money has been transferred abroad using their bank cards and that quick action is needed. Additionally, victims are sometimes called by a so-called bank employee with the fictitious name William van Kooten. In several cases, valuable jewelry also disappears. These are not only valuable in money but especially of great emotional value.
Consistent Evidence
The concrete evidence of most cases can be divided into four different forms: descriptions via images, GPS data from the phone of the 23-year-old man, descriptions of the suspect mans car, and the confession of both suspects. To begin with, both suspects are identified by multiple victims, doorbell cameras, pin locations, and other footage. Secondly, the GPS data from the phone of the 23-year-old man can be linked to almost all addresses of the victims or the pin locations of the various cases. Additionally, the suspect mans car is spotted in many cases at the home addresses of the victims or at the pin locations. Finally, both suspects confess in multiple cases that they were present at various locations where they victimized individuals.
“A Plague for Society”
According to the OM, this is a serious case. “Bank helpdesk fraud has been causing significant damage in the Netherlands for a long time,” the public prosecutor said today in court. “We can now speak of a real plague for society. The suspects demonstrate that they have mastered this form of fraud well.” The damage, according to the prosecutor, is not only financial. “Victims continue to suffer from feelings of fear, sleep poorly, and doubt their own judgment. Trust in other people is often lost. The devastation caused by the suspects is enormous,” said the prosecutor.
Sentence Demand
When determining the sentence demand, the OM also looks at the personal circumstances of the suspects. The 23-year-old man from Almere has an extensive criminal record and has been in contact with the police and justice more frequently in recent years. The OM demands 16 months in prison for this suspect, of which 6 months are conditional with a probation period of 2 years. The 21-year-old woman from Rotterdam has no criminal record in the Netherlands. This suspect has personal issues. Weighing everything, the OM demands 330 days of juvenile detention for this suspect, of which 327 days are conditional with a probation period of 2 years.
